Cigar machine reroller mechanism



June l2, 1945. H. H. WHEELER CIGAR'MACHINE REROLLER MECHANISM OriginalFiled Feb. 8, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June l2, 1945.. H. H. WHEELER2,378,166

CIGAR MACHINE REROLLAER MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 8, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 2 l mvENToR 131 AHENRY H WHEELER A ORNEY Patented June 12,19454 $2,378,165 GIGAR Henry o I nati originar application February s;.1938, 'serial N.' r

"189,300. Divided and this amlicatiim Septem- Thisinvention relates tocigar machines 'and more particularly to animprovedreroliingi and'trimming unit for cigar rolling machines.` its main object is to providea compact .deviceA with enclosed operating mechanism for high vspeedoperation. This invention also proposes. to. providea rerol'ling unitwhich is wholly independent insofarasits driveand operativev partsarie'lconcerned v.of the remainder oi v'the cigar rolling machine,. andwhich can, .if desired or necessary, be -rea'dih7 removed for repairsand` interchange. of parts.

Due ito the fact that substantiallyvrall'or the operatingV parts fof.the improved rerolling 'and cigar vlocating mechanism are enclosed,api-actically ali dirt,l tobacco dust andY waste particles andabrasives, whichinight 'pro-ve detrimental and causeexcessive Wear tothe operatveparts,

are ,denied access thereto, and consequent-1y. ythe. life of .the.entire `mechanism is greatly' increased( Itis'a further ,object .of theinvention, there-V fore, to provide an improved reroliing and locatingmechanism having operative 'enclosed4 wherein these parts are protectedfrom excessive The invention also .consists `in the provision .of ,a newand improved rerolling, trimming and.

knurling unit preferably provided .with 'an' independent cam shaft.which may he driven by means of a suitable coupling 4from .the cigarrolling device.

The invention further `proposes the provision of' individual earns andcam tracks mounted on thev drive shafts for. each one oftheseveraloperating l parts in order to provide more time for i-riiirlingAand making better cigar jheads. arrange ment also gives more time to thewrapper layer when it is not necessary to use the 'hand'knurleri ruary8,193.8, which has ,issued as retenus! 2,337,076, granted `December 21,`leiorgef roller and trimmer for Vcigar n iaclfiines.

. Itis an additionallobject .ofi the inventions@ provide mechanism forycontinuousiydrivng knuriing devicesand also theshaft .which vdrives.-

afcamrwhereheretoforeit has beencustomary .v

fdrivendirectlyzlor through .a suitable coupling' wear and .tear byreason of the .enclosing .ele-

mechanism is driven from themain drive shaft of the .rerollingdev-iceand thereby eliminates ail necessity of lusing a separateextcriorfdrlve..

`It'is'aniadditional .object of the. invention to providean y'improvedmechanism for controiling oscillatory movement .of the cigar rerolling.in orderlthatvthelo'stmotionmay b e kept to a minimumv and thatmoreperfect cigars vmay he produced because of .the eliminationkoi .this.undesirable lfeature. .This is brought about'bv reason of the fact thatthe pinion .which Ydrives rerolling .drum 'is .in turndriven from a gearses: mentzuforming a part :of a single lever driven from tooperatelthedriving pinion of the remi-ling drum from a rack having numerousconnections which brought it into operation .With a `cam which effectedthe rotationof the errance:

ment also results in ai sturdier .construction inV f lorder to provide.a simpler and .more ,editiert drivexforx the. reroller `.the inventionalso con: sistsein .the provision of a .drive .shaft which :is

from the .drive shaft of the rolling Thislm'akes .possible .ag moreunied rerolin structure thanhasexisted heretofore.

The-invention also `consists n-.theprovdsion .o means-for. .driving this.ag .cutter .of a cigarfjrokl:

lingmachine directly from the .operating means.

or the .rerol-ling unit wherein theiagutter and thefknurlers of thererolling mechanism are gcon.- tinuously operated.

1 With .these .and .other objects' notl speciclly mentioned :in view,the .invention ,consists :innere tainV constructions and .combinationswhich beheriematter `ful-1i7 ,described and. then set forth in .theclaims Ahereunto appended.

v.In'.the1-accompanving.mavvinss lwhich, term .a pant of thisspecicationgand .which like lchar.- aotrs of. reference indicate *the.same or dike par 5;... '.fx

Fien-11e i is endelevation of irmiroved fFiau-re 2 avsectionaiside.eievation oi-the proved -rerolfling'unit showing its: driverelaim withanother unittoff athezcigarirolling. indemne. l Referring to Figures iand. 2, the improved the flag cutter ofthe rolling mechanismpifms 55Uiconsistsrof-a 'hou'sing'ld:; an;oscillat1ng reporting drum I2, aresiliently supported concave I3, a cigar locating knurler I4, cigargrippers I and I6, trimmers I1, I8, and an independently drivenfinishing knurler I9. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 the whole rerollingunit U is detachably mounted on table 20, and may be secured thereon bymeansof any conventional type of screw IIa.

The cigar, after having its wrapper applied, is

deposited on the concave I3 by a suitable transfer whereon it is rolledback and forth a number of times by the drum I2, thereby redistributinghard spots in the filler and softening the same.

The cigar is then pressed by the grippers I5, I6

(Figures 1 and 2), rst lightly so that each cigar can be moved axiallywithout damage to its fragile wrapper until the locating knurler I4 hasengaged and displaced the head of the cigar into a predetermined axialposition, and then firmly to hold the cigar xedly, while the trimmersI1, I8 are moved'in'to cutting position and closed upon the tuck e'nd ofthe cigar. This mechanism makes it substantially impossible for theknives to move the positioned cigar, with the net result that all arecut to a fixed length. The grippers then open, allowing the cigar toroll down the concave I3 onto the table 20 of the machine, to be pickedup by the wrapper die attendant who stacks it in a tray provided forthis purpose.

In the event that a cigar head has a wrapper improperlyapplied theretoand it is necessary that it be unwound and repaired manually, a nishingknurler I9is available to the operator and the head of the repairedcigar may be nished in this knurler .after which the cigar is placed onthe tray referred t0. i

.The operating mechanism for the rolling drum, locating knurler,grippers and trimmers is located in the housing II, Which is closed by acover 2|, this housing carrying a bearing bracket 22 for the shaft 23 ofthe locating knu'rler I4. The main drive shaft 24, which may be a partof the existing .drive of the Acigar rolling device, projects throughand is supported by a bearing 25 of housing' II and carries a cam' 25 atits inner end. A bearing 21 of the housing supports a shaft 28 on whichthererollingdrum I2 and its operating gear 29 lare fastened, the lattergear meshing with and `being oscillated byv a gear segment 30 on alever'3l which is mounted on a pivot shaft 32a supported `in a lug 32 ofhousing Il and supports a follower'33 in engagement with a cam track 34of plate cam 26.

At its lower end the concave I3 is fastened to a block 35 mounted on arocker shaft 36 supported in housing II and a bearing block 31 restingon table 20, While its upper end bears against a compression spring 38carried in an adjustable socket 39 threaded into a-block 40 extendingfrom a bearing 4I of housing II. The spring 38 presses a set screw 42 -nthe lower end of the concave I3 in adjusted position to admit a cigardelivered by the cigar transfer from the wrapping device.

The cigar locator I4 is carried at the end of shaft 23, which is drivenby a bevel gear 43 held against axial displacement by a collar 44bearing against an internal shoulder in bracket 22, the hub of gear43'having a long keyway connecting it to and permitting axial movementof shaft 23. Between flanges 45 on shaft 23 is tted a roller 46 carriedby a lever41 pivoted in housing II and having a follower 48 held againstthe face of a cylindrical track 49 on barrel cam26 by a tensionspring50. When theroller '48` engages with,thelaxialldepression' 5I of camtrack 49, the' shaft roller 46 causes an axial movement of shaft 23,which has a bushing 52 slidable in a bearing 53 of housing Ii, therebybringing the locator I4 into the dotted position I4 where it engages andlocates a cigar rin its proper trimming position. On the hub of bevelgear 43 is mounted a pulley 54 attached thereto by a pin 55 and overwhich runs a belt 56 driving a pulley 51 on a shaft 58 supported by asleeve 59 mounted in housing Il. The shaft 58 drives the rotating partof the nearby flag cutter unit of the rolling machine as shown in Figure4.

The bevel gear 43 is driven by a bevel gear 60 on a vertical shaft 6lsupported in a bearing bracket 62, the shaft 6i having a, bevel gear 53in mesh with a bevel gear 64 on a horizontal shaft mounted in bracket62, which shaft is attached by a conventional single tooth coupling 66(Figure l) to a continuously driven shaft 61 of the rolling machine.Coupling 66 assists in the ready removal of the rerolling device as aunit for repair and/or replacement, as desired. The gear 43 also drivesa bevel gear 63 on a shaft 59 supported in a bushing 19 held in abearing 1| of housing I I, the shaft 69 being connected by a universaljoint to the shaft of finishing knurler I9, as shown in co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 101,563, filed September 19, 1936, by SigurdClausen, now matured into Patent No. 2,151,898 granted March 28, 1939,for Knurler unit for cigar machines.

The cigar grippers are arranged to grip the cigar lightly while it isbeing axially located by the knurler I4, and then firmly while it isbeing trimmed to size by the cutters I1, I8. The lower grippers I5 arexedly mounted on a shaft 12 supported `in a. bearingv (not shown) ofhousing II. The shaft 12 carries an arm 14 having a follower 15j, heldagainst a cam 16 on shaft 24 by a spring 11janchored to a post 11a onarm 14 and a post 18 in housing II. As the roller 15 rides off thelobeof cam 13, the spring 11 pulls the grippers I5 into their upposition against the cigar C, openings being provided in the concave I3for their passage thereto.

The upper gripper I5 is loosely mounted on a shaft 19 supported in abearing 8l) of housing II. On shaft 19 is fixedly mounted an arm 8|carrying tWo horizontal pins 62 and 83, the former extending above andthe latter below the gripper I6; 'A coil spring 84 on shaft 19 has oneend inserted into a fixed collar 85 while its other end presses down ongripper I5 thus holding the latter against the lower pin 83 of arm 8l.On the end of shaft 19 within the housing is fastened a crank arm (notshown) Which is connected by a link 81 to a bell crank lever 88fulcrumed on a stud 89 affixed to housing II. The lever 88 carries afollower 93 heldin engagement with the peripheral track 9| of cam 26 bya spring 92 attached to arm 86 and anchored to a post 93 in housing II.As the depression 94 of track 9i engagesV with roller Sil), the arm 8lcauses the gripper I5 to move towards the cigar C and grip the samelightly by the pressure of the weak spring 84 while the arm I5 islikewise actuated toward the cigar, thereby permitting axial locationofthe cigar without injury to its wrapper. As the roller Si! then runs offdepression 94 onto the periphery of track 4S, the strong spring 92 pullsthe upper pins 82 of arm 8| down upon the gripper, causing the latter topress firmly against the cigar, thus preventing axial movement duringthe trimming operation. It will be seen, therefore, that as the knurlerI4 moves forward to locate a cigar, clamp arm" I3 bears lightly thecigar has been axially located, they are moved towards the drum intocutting position and then. close upon and sever the tuck end oi thelocated cigar.v The trimming knives l.I"I,'. IB (Figures 1 and 2) aremounted on a iianged sleeve 95 loose on -a .shaft Sli supported inbearing block 31 and in a. hearing 181 of housing I I. 0n sleeve 95arealso mounted a flanged collar @il carrying a coil spring 99 .and acollar |[I.0,the members I'I, I8, 95 and 93 being clamped I. together bynuts IIII screwed against a spring washer H32 on sleeve 95. In theillustrated embodiment the knives Il, I3 lie in vertical planes andsleevell and collar 93 which support them are moved axially into and outof operative position. A drum cam |08 is engaged by .a cam follower IMIon a cam lever Illa adjustably fulcrurned at .m6 (Figure 1) to impartaxial movement to the trimmers at the proper time. Since this mechanismforms :no Vpart of the present improvement, further detailed descriptionis deemed `.unnecessary a'nd .is omitted in the interest of brevity.

Each of the trimming knives I7 and IIl is provided with a rear extensionupon which are mounted followers (not shown) which engage the top andthe bottom of an oblong cam bar III.

' The bar III is pivoted in bearing block 31 and in a bearing I I2 ofhousing I I and on its housing end carries a crank arm II3 connected bya link II4 to a cam lever I I5 pivoted on a stud IIS held in a bearing(not shown) of housing I I. The lever I I has a follower I I3 inengagement with a track IIS in the rear face of cam 26, whereby the barIII is turned into an upright position at the proper moment, causing thefollowers onthe knife extensions to separate and thereby close thetrimming knives Il and IB upon one another thus cutting the cigar C tothe proper length.

Below the cutting position of the trimmers, an

'opening is provided in the table plate 20 of the machine, and afunnel-shaped chute |20 is attached to plate 2|] (Figures 1 and 2), thechute |20 terminating into a pipe |2| connecting with the suction systemof the machine, so that all scrap resulting from trimming the cigars isimmediately removed and the adjoining parts of the machine are keptclean.

The drive shaft of the rerolling unit is attached by a conventionalcoupling |28 (Figure 4) to the drive shaft |29 of the wrapping device ofthe cigar machine designated` generally W, which may be of the typeshown in 'cmpending application,

Serial No. 107,792 filed by James P. Burning,

October 27, 1936, now Patent No. 2,290,171'granted July 21, 1942, whichhas aV gear I3!) driven by a gear I3I from the main shaft of themachine. As shown, by merely removing the coupling securing means, whichmay be screws of any known type, the whole rerolling unit may beseparated and 'removed from the machine. This improved drive has adecided effect in simplifying the rerolling mechanism drive, makes itpossible to form a more compact unit, eliminates the necessity of usinglarge cams on the main drive shaft, cuts down to a marked extent thesize of levers used and in general adds to the overall efliciency of thererolling mechanism'in the pivoduction of more uniform cigarsandcheroots. The shaft 58', supported by the sleeve 59 'land driven bythe belt 56 from the continuously rotating knurler shaft 23, is made useof, as heretofore mentioned, to drive the flag ,cutterof the Vwrappingdevice. The

latter consists of a rotating double-pointed knife |32 mounted `on shaftI32a coacting with a ledger plate |33, which are raised into operatingposition once in every cycle,v of the machine. For thisr purpose, theilag cutter is supported on a cam operated swing ,arm |34 and driven bya friction wheel 'ISEengaging :with a pulley |36 loosely carried on astud |37 A(as shown in Figure 4) by a cam operated arm |133 swinging ona shaft |39 supported by the frame I4@ of the wrapping device.universal, joint I4| to a; shaft |42 which in turn is attached by auniversal joint |63 to a coupling IM 'onshaft `5&3... When the rerolling'unit kis detached .from table 293 byA Aremovins screws I Ia .and I28a,the pulley |36 A.Slides oistud |37).

The mechanism above ydescribed may rbe varied vin constructionwithin-thescope of the claims, for the particular devicer selected toillustrate the invention isv butV one ,ofV many possible ,con-y creteembodiments of the same. The invention is not, therefore, to be,restricted to the'precise details 4of the `Stuwturo.shownand described..

a driven gear on said shaft, a main shaft also mounted in said housing,a cam on said main shaft, a lever provided with a cam follower engagingsaid cam, means on said housing providing a pivotal support for saidlever, 4and a gear segment secured to said lever and engaging said gearto operate said rerolling device.

2. In a cigar machine having a support table,

the combination with a` rerolling mechanism comprising a rotatingrerolling drum and a yieldingly mounted concave spaced therefrom,driving means for cyclically imparting motion to said drum to rollcigars back and forth on said concave, said driving means including ashaft, a

cam located on said shaft, a lever, a cam follower on said levertracking'said cam, a housing detachably mounted on said table, means onsaid housing providing a pivotalsupport for said lever, a toothed membermounted on said lever, a shaft supporting said rerolling drum, a gear onsaid last-named shaft meshing with said toothed member, and means fordriving said first-named shaft and rotating said cam to oscillate saidrerolling drum, said driving means being located above said table andfree of operative connections beneath said table, whereby to permitready removal of said rerolling mechanism from said machine as acomplete unit.

3. In a cigar machine having a supporting table, the combination with arerolling sub-assembly mechanism including an oscillatable rerollingdrum and a concave spaced therefrom,

The hub of pulley |136 is connectedL by a" shaft journalled in saidhousing, a cam located on said shaft, a lever fulcrumed on and operativeWithin said housing of said sub-assembly mechanism, a cam follower onsaid lever, a gear segment mounted on said lever, a shaft supportingsaid drum, a pinion on said last-,named shaft engaged by said gearsegment, and means for cyclically rotating said cam to impartoscillating rotary movement to said drum.

4. A cigar machine rerolling mechanism subassembly unit for use in acigar machine having a supporting frame and a support table fordetachably supporting said unit, comprising a rotating rerolling drum, aconcave spaced therefrom for guiding cigars beneath said drum, a housingforming the frame of said unit,` driving mechanism mounted in saidhousing for imparting movement to said drum, said mechanism including ashaft journalled in said housing and supporting said drum, a pivot shaftmounted on said housing, a drum driving lever mounted on said pivotshaft, a main shaft also `ournalled in said housing, a cam located onsaid main shaft, a follower on said lever coacting with said cam formoving said lever, and means on said lever for imparting oscillatingrotary movement to said drum.

5. In a cigar machine, the combination with a rerolling mechanism unit,comprising a rotating rerolling drum and a yieldingly mounted con- Fil,

cave spaced therefrom, driving means for imparting motion to said drum,a housing element constructed and arranged to enclose a part of saiddriving means for rotating said drum, said means including a shaftjournalled in said housing, a cam located on said shaft, a pivoted levermounted on said housing, a cam follower on said lever tracking said cam,a rack on said lever controlled by said cam through said follower, adrum support shaft, a pinion on said drum support shaft engaged by saidrack, and means for driving said first-named shaft to rotate said camand thereby impart oscillatory and rotary movement to said drum.

6. In a cigar machine having a support table, the combination with arerolling mechanism unit comprising a rerolling drum and a cigarsupporting concave spaced therefrom, said unit being removably mountedon said table, of driving mechanism for said drum, a housing enclosing apart of said driving mechanism including a shaft jcurnalled in saidhousing and supporting said drum, driving means on said shaft, a mainshaft also journalled in said housing, a cam located on said main shaft,and connections between said cam and driving means for oscillatinglyrotating said drum, said connections located above said table andoperative wholly within said housing.

HENRY H. WHEELER.

